Everybody's doin it...

You know, the one that Michael Moseley investigated for a recent episode of Horizon? It's meant to be incredibly good for you, reducing cholesterol, extending your life, losing you weight and generally increasing your health. Some call it 'intermittent fasting', others the 5:2 diet - whatever it's called the basic principle is the same. On your 'fast' days you eat only 500 calories if you're a girl, 600 if you're a man, but at least you know the next day, you can eat totally normally. (Because the two fast days do not have to be consecutive)

Michael Moseley told me today that his fast days were Mondays and Thursdays - and he recommended doing with a 'dieting buddy'. So me and Producer John are teaming up to do it together - from this week. He's already on his second fast day - this is my first. Then we can eat normally over the weekend, and keep each other going through Monday together.

I reckon I can do it. Surely any of us can stick to a mere 500 calories one day, at least if you know you don't have to do it the following day...

So instead of my usual 'sins' this morning (a bag of crisps and often a chocolate biscuit, too) I've brought in, and been munching quite happily, a box of carrots and a banana. Producer John is saving his calories for a big pile of broccoli later on, as he's already had three scrambled eggs on a piece of toast for breakfast!

Join in with us if you like. I'll keep you posted every week to tell you how we're doing. And if you need to know more, you may still be able to watch clips of that Horizon online plus Michael Moseley has even written a book about it.

Good luck to us all. Munch munch.